In the shielded cable art, it is known to provide shielding in the form of a metallic overbraid wrapped around an insulated central conductor; see e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,414,211. The shielding function requires that the overbraid provide an unbroken conductive layer. Consequently, it is necessary that the overbraid strands be in conductive contact with each other.
Typically, the shielding overbraid is covered with a plastic layer or a textile layer to provide protection and abrasion resistance for the cable. Thus, the color and appearance of the cable is dictated by the appearance of the plastic layer.
In many applications, the appearance or color of a cable is of no consequence since the cable is generally not in open view and cable aesthetics is of little concern. However, in the case of performances by modern musical groups which use electronic equipment extensively, the cables interconnecting the musical instruments to the other electronic gear are in full view of the audience. Therefore, the cable's appearance, along with the instrument and other equipment, under imaginative lighting, becomes an important element of the overall presentation.
In the electrical conductor art, overbraiding of wires with textile materials, such as nylon or cotton yarn, has been used for some time to provide a pleasing appearance and protection against abrasion. For example, these materials have been used since the 1940s with electrical appliances, such as toasters and irons. While overbraids composed of these materials provide cables with some protection from damage, they tend to fray after extended usage. Also, cables with overbraids composed of these materials have little or no reflective characteristics due to their matte-like surfaces and, thus, would be virtually invisible to the eyes of an audience when the cable is used on-stage.
An object of the present invention is to provide an overbraid cable made of ribbon, rather than bundles of yarn, which has a decorative and reflective appearance. A further object of the present invention is to provide a ribbon overbraid cable which resists fraying.